Atkins Shakes – Do You Need Them?

There are dozens of Atkins products, with a wide variety of flavors, to help you follow the strict guidelines of this low carbohydrate diet. But some of the products are definitely more of a luxury than a necessity.

Nutritional Content (per shake bottle)

Are Atkins Shakes Required?

The quick answer is no, you’re not required to specifically use the Atkins brand shakes if you want to start the diet. Much like the other Atkins products, they’re provided as a convenience to make following the diet hassle free.

You don’t need to use shakes at all to follow Atkins, if you prefer cooking solid food. While it does make reaching your daily protein intake much easier, it isn’t a necessity if you’re on a budget.

Atkins Shakes vs Other Brands

One of the main reasons why you may want to consider using the Atkins brand is because you’re guaranteed to be using a product that is Atkins compliant. It isn’t unusual for someone to use an off-brand protein powder and realize several weeks later they’ve been consuming too many carbs or too much sugar.

If you find another protein powder you prefer, because of flavor or cost, you just want to make sure it matches the carb content of the Atkins shakes. The protein and fat per serving aren’t as important as the net carbs.

Eating too much, or too little protein, won’t have the same impact as eating too many carbs while on the Atkins diet.